CBS Chairman Mel Karmazin is trading in his cowboy boots for wrestling tights.

The Tiffany Network’s down-home country music cable channel canceled three national TV programs that promoted country artists in a major shakeup that eases the network out of the line-dancing business.

Instead, TNN will feature more of the controversial – yet highly-rated – extreme wrestling, as well as auto-related shows.

“CBS is trying to broaden their type of programming to add more value to their property,” said Richard Read, a media analyst at Credit Lyonnais Securities.

“Look at Court TV. They went from filming courtrooms all day long to airing anything remotely legal. CBS is just opening their doors for greater cross-promotion. That’s their gig.”

As part of the switch, “Prime Time Country,” – a talk/variety show that has been on the air for 16 years – “Crook & Chase,” and “This Week in Country Music” will all vanish in December.

The new programming will be unveiled late next month.

One new addition to the TNN lineup will be a show geared to the automobile enthusiast.

It will tie-in to CBS’s newly-acquired Wrenchead.com, a website that lets its members search and order parts for any make or model car.

Still in the works, the show will probably air on the weekend, when the majority of men tune in to the cable channel, said a TNN spokeswoman.

The Tiffany Network announced last month that it will begin airing “Extreme Championship Wrestling” on its cable channel.

That’s the hardcore wrestling federation where wrestlers have been known to hit each other with baseball bats wrapped in barbed wire.

The programming change comes as CBS is going to great lengths to change its old image to appeal to young men – a group advertisers want to reach.

CBS paid a fortune to get NFL rights, and put Howard Stern on its TV stations. TNN’s entry into the wrestling ring is to debut Aug. 27 and will not replace any of the shows that were axed.

It will join Friday-night’s updated version of roller derby, “Rollerjam,” “Championship Rodeo” and “Motor Madness,” a smash-em-up car show that features demolition derbies.

TNN officials confirm they are looking for ways to broaden their appeal to attract more viewers, but they insist they are not ditching their country music roots.

“CBS Cable continues its deep commitment to country entertainment,” said TNN President David Hall. “CMT (TNN’s sister channel) will continue to be our country music mainstay.”

While it’s too soon to tell what kind of impact the loss of country music programming will have on advertising, there are some who are thrilled with the change.

Sheri Warnke, VP and Publisher of “Country Weekly” magazine said her company will benefit.”There’s not a lot of places advertisers can go to get exposure for artists. The labels depended on TV.”